Life inspirations

Online shop owner Tracey Leber’s motto of “Seeking life’s inspirations” is more than just a theme for her blog. It’s a philosophy that carries her on regular trips to France, where she strolls the flea markets and antiques shops of Paris, Provence and Normandy seeking treasures for her home-decor store, FrenchLarkspur.com.

The store’s virtual shelves showcase items such as well-loved table linens, sheet music, century-old apothecary bottles and beautifully hand-scripted letters. She keeps a few special pieces for her headquarters in the Chicago-area home she shares with husband Steve and their three children. She layered on age in her eight-year-old home using crown molding, antique chandeliers, architectural salvage, family heirlooms and a welcoming palette that’s mostly white, which serves as a backdrop to a melding of Scandinavian and French styles. “I like the fact that vintage items make my home more unique,” Tracey says.

Flexible color

The family room’s wall color appears pale green or blue depending on how the sun hits it. The old door leaning against a wall is one of Tracey’s most versatile vintage finds because its back side is an awesome blue color. Depending on the time of year, she flips the door over for a new look. Antique chandeliers throughout the house offer a one-of-a-kind look. Some don’t light, but that’s OK with Tracey. “Sometimes I’ll just hang them for their beauty,” she says.

Creative organization

In the studio, Tracey packs orders for her business and works on projects, while her kids use the old farm table for crafts and homework. "This space used to be a living room, but we never used it," Tracey says.

Steve built the shelving unit from salvaged wood. Old baskets and wood and tin boxes become filing cabinets. On the table, a painted wood toolbox stores a variety of shipping materials. Tracey artfully displays her vintage grain sack collection on a paint-splattered ladder.

Dining chic

Scandinavian style inspired gray-painted wood floors. Tracey upholstered a mix of chairs with vintage grain sacks—easy to do with a staple gun.

"Make your style our own," Tracey advises. "I wish I had a simple name to describe my style, but it doesn't fit in a neat little box. I call it French Nordic. I love vintage French decor, but I also love Scandinavian style, with its pale painted furniture and clean lines. I combine the two."

Tracey loves whites, but to warm up her rooms, she says that "once I buy a white paint color, I won't use it a second time. This way, the whites on the walls and furniture throughout my house are all mix-and-match. That adds interest. I also like to add pops of color—mostly blues and greens. I love using colored glass. And I throw in some dark wood pieces among the painted pieces to keep things warm."

Ready, set, dine

“I’m known on my blog for my table settings,” says Tracey Leber of FrenchLarkspur.blogspot.com. “It’s something I enjoy doing.” So we asked Tracey to create a Valentine’s Day-inspired table and to share her tips.

Think creatively when it comes to table linens. This table is set with a length of plain burlap right off the bolt. No sewing needed; just cut.

Hit the right note by layering romantic sheet music under silverware.

Float raspberries in drinks for a dash of color and flavor. Place a single blossom on a plate.

Make meaningful place settings with a favorite collection. Tracey inherited tons of pink Depression glass, which brightens this dinner table set for sweethearts. One of Tracey's favorite tricks: Wrap wine labels (available online) around linens in place of napkin rings; secure with ribbon.

Creative wine holders

Repurposed wood

A bottle-drying rack corrals mugs on a serving table Steve built out of shipping pallets.

"When I import items from Europe, they’re shipped on wood pallets," Tracey says. "I asked my husband if he could build a table out of the pallets. He’s learned over the years that I get these crazy ideas, and he just goes with it. Originally, I wanted it to be my outdoor potting bench, but it looked so pretty inside that it’s stayed in the dining room. I set hors d’oeuvres and desserts on it when entertaining."

Embrace salvage

In the serene blue master bedroom, a drawer adds magazine and book storage under the nightstand, and an old window stands in for art.

"Embrace architectural salvage," says Tracey. "Old windows, shutters, cornice pieces and clock faces are a few of my favorites. They add a lot of interest to a room, and it's usually easy to find them with their original patina. When living with vintage, I'm careful. If a piece has old, chipping paint—especially if it's going in a child's room—I'll seal it with polyurethane."

Musical touch

Sheet music papers a wall in the studio.

"Don't overthink your vignettes," Tracey advises. "I follow no design rules whatsoever when creating vignettes in my house. I start gathering items that I think I want to use and tweak until my eyes say I like how it looks. I tell people all the time: Decorate with what you love. Don't do anything overly trendy. You'll be happier in the long run."

Vintage desk

Don't be afraid of white decor

"Everyone thinks you can't have a house decorated in white if you have kids. It's so not true. I have three kids," Tracey says. "This is why white is great: Painted white surfaces don't show the dust. Vintage white pieces all have dings already, so if they get roughed up some more, it's not a problem. And slipcovers can easily be washed."